Powerball Winner Announced

By BRIAN SKOLOFF and MARIA SUDEKUMAssociated Press FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz. (AP) -- Lottery officials say a 52-year-old mechanic from northwest Missouri holds one of the two tickets matching all six numbers in the record $588 million Powerball jackpot.

A Missouri Lottery news release says Mark S. Hill bought the winning ticket for himself and his wife, Cindy, at a gas station in Dearborn.

Another winning ticket was sold in the Phoenix area but that ticket holder has not come forward.

Dearborn is a town of about 500 located about 40 miles north of Kansas City.

The $587.5 million payout represents the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

Eds: APNewsNow. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- One of the two winning Powerball tickets for an estimated $587.5 million jackpot was sold in the Kansas City area.

Missouri Lottery spokesman Gary Gonder says the winner has not yet come forward Thursday to claim the record prize, but there is no rush. The winner has 180 days to do so.

Gonder says he is traveling to the store that sold the winning ticket to help with an expected onslaught of media attention. Missouri Lottery officials plan to announce the identity of the retailer later Thursday.

The other winning Powerball ticket was sold in Arizona.

The Missouri Lottery says two $1 million winning Powerball tickets were also sold in the state -- one in Joplin and the other in Kansas City.

AP-WF-11-29-12 1449GMT

Associated Press Release

By M. SPENCER GREEN and JIM COLEAssociated Press CHICAGO (AP) -- The richest Powerball jackpot ever -- and the second-largest top prize in U.S. lottery history -- has been won. The question now becomes: Who are the lucky winners waking up to new lives as multimillionaires?

Powerball officials said early Thursday that tickets sold in Arizona and Missouri matched all six numbers to win the record $579.9 million jackpot.

It was not clear whether the winning tickets belonged to individuals or groups. Arizona lottery officials said early Thursday morning they had no information on that state's winner or winners but would announce where it was sold during a news conference later in the day. Lottery officials in Missouri did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

AP-WF-11-29-12 0849GMT

WINNING POWERBALL NUMBERS:

5, 23, 16, 22, 29 and (POWERBALL) 6

The 550 million dollar prize is the largest in Powerball history.People have been plopping down there two dollars all day long with hopes and dreams of winning the big prize tonight.

Five balls and one powerball is what can make some pretty big dreams a reality.

Lottery Officials say that there is about a 75 percent chance somebody will win the jackpot tonight.

Associated Press Release

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- The record Powerball jackpot just keeps rising. It now stands at $550 million after officials say brisk sales keep driving up the payout amount.

The jackpot was boosted to $500 million on Tuesday and raised again Wednesday morning to $550 million.

A winner taking the cash option would get $360.2 million before taxes.

The numbers are an estimate and could be increased again as the drawing nears.

Powerball officials say they now believe there is a 75 percent chance that the winning combination of numbers will be drawn Wednesday night.

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